Irrigating device for plants.



R. WHITE. mam/arms DEVICE-TOR PLANTS.

APPLICATI ON FILED APR. 16,15);

' Pmmm Nov, 2?, 19171 awuankoz Wow WHITE tnarr eras an tron.

nor: WHITE, or LAMAR, corionano, nssrenon or rnann-nrenrns 'ro Jar/Ins K. DOUGHTY, or LAMAR, coLonADo, AND ONE-EIGHTH T0 CHARLES :oouenrr,

0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IRRIGATING DEVICE FOR PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

Application filed April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,404.

To all whom it mag concern y Be it known thatI, ROY WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lamar, in the county of Prowers and Stateof Oolorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Irrigating Devices for Plants, of which the following is a speclfication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved irrigating device for plants, and has for its primary object to provide certain improvements in my original invention shown and described in Patent No. 1,216,642, granted to me February 20, 1917.

I It is one of the particular objects of the present invention to provide a water receptacle or pan having a top wall provided with spaced openings therein, tubes removably mounted in the openings and adapted to project at their upper ends through openings in the base wall of the flower pots arr'angedupon the top wall of the pan, said tubes being held in place by the flower pots, and an absorbent material pro ectlng through the tube and beyond its opposite ends to'absorb water contained in the pan and supply the same to the earth surrounding the roots of the plants. 1

The presentinventlon also has for a specific item or improvement to provide a binding wire engagedupon the absorbent mate rial at its upper end to render the same. relatively. stifi so that the material will not be laterally displaced when the flower pot is arranged in position on the top wall of the pan or removed therefrom.

And it is a further object of my invention to provide improvements in my original device as above noted, which, however, will not add to any. material extent to the. manufacturing cost of the article, whileugreatly increasing its serviceability and efficiency in practical use.

-With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combination and. arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a water pan or receptacle showing several plant eontainers or pots arranged thereon;

Fig. 2 is Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of one of the removable tubes for the absorbent material.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the water pan or receptacle which may be of any desired dimensions and is provided with a top wall 6 which may either be fixed to the inner sides of the marginal walls of the pan or removably supported thereon, as preferred. This top wall 6 is provided with a plurality of openings 7 equidistantly spaced apart, and within these openings the removable sheet, metal tubes8 are adapted to be arranged.

Each of the tubes 8, at one ofits ends and at diametrically opposite points, is longitudinally split and the metal forced outwardly to provide the laterally projecting arms 9. The tubes are arranged in the openings 7 with the longer portions thereof extending downwardly into the pan and the arms 9 disposed upon the upper surface of the top wall 6. j

10 designates a length of sponge or other suitable absorbent material extending through the tube 8 and beyond the opposite ends thereof. The sponge projecting below the lower end of the tube is engaged in the water contained in the receptacle 5. A relatively long section of thesponge extends above the upper end of the metal tube 8, and upon the same a binding wire 11 is spirally coiled, one endof said wire being engaged within the end of the tube 8 and,

preferably soldered to, the wall thereof. This binding wire renders the upwardly projecting portion of theabsorbent sponge relatively rigid so that it will not droop over laterally but will at all times be held i o were, a sf a ii st thaled sired, the portion of the sponge or absorbent material projecting above the upper end oi the tubes 8 may be relatively short and the use of binding wire dispensed with,

as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In the practical o eration of the device, it Will be understood tiat theivater' contained n the P ir pt c e 5 s r d by th sponge or other absorbent material and,"by capillary attraction, drawn upwardly and disseminated through the earth in the bot- "tom "ofthe' potandfaround the plant ro'bts. Thus the moisture is automatically and continuouslysupp'lied to the plant so asto iacilitate the growth thereof, and "frequent replenishing of the Water and much care and attentionwhich is ordinarily; required, is thereby obviated. A The top wall of the pain :is preferably disposed'some'distaheebelovv the upper edges-"of the marginal walls as in the-original form oft hetleviee shown in my issued patent, so f that any excess of Water will 'd'rainthrough the opening in the bottom of the pot: and collect upon the top Wall ofthe Thus, when the'pots and 'the metal tubes are -IB111OVGClfiQhlS Water may freely v drain back through the openings 7 into the pan or receptacle. M .IFIIOIILI the foregoing description; taken in connection with the accompanying 'd'rawii'ig, itis believed that the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my invention Will'be' clearly and f'ully understood. Byremovably mounting the metal tubes 8 in thetop Wall of-the pan," a new length of sponge or other absorbent material may-flgbe readily engaged jthrough the ;tube. The flower pot restingupon the later- 40 ally-projecting arms 9 of the tube, h oi'dthe same inplace yvhile the upper end ofthe cthbe being disposed throii'gh the -'openi11g inthe base Wall; of the pot, prevents lateral displacement of the flower potuponlthei Wall of thep'an or receptacle; When desiredythe fioweri/pots or holders can bereadi'ly removed forthetpurposeof supplying additional soil?or earth, and When 'replacedg the relativelylstifl or rigid, upwardly L projecting p'orti'on' of the absorbent material may be easily engagedthro'ugh the opening in "the bottom wallofft'he' pot and the pot again farranged in position. upon the receptacle vvalL; The downward movement of the tubes 8 is, oficours'e, limited by the engagement of their arms 9 upon the walliof the panwhen :the pot or holder is arranged in position. The device asla Whole is exceedingly simple in; its construction and, in practical use, has

'60 beenfound very'reliable and'eiiicint for the copies of this iatilt mayibe obtained forijive cents each; by addressing the Commissioner ii 'iibe ev i a sessment sjl i'est that the pan or receptacle 5 can be of any desired size and also of various other shapes than that-illustrated inthe drawing. This receptacle may likewise be iiiade of clay or other iriaterialsiiiiiu of sheet metal,

Whfle'I have herein shown and described i tlie prejierred construction and arrangement ofthe'several parts, it is to be understood '70 1; An. irrigating d re eraaenaad s0 ing a Water receptacle hayingva' top gwall provided with spaced? openings'over Tw'hich the plant pots are adapted to be arranged, a

metal tube adapted to; be removably engaged in each of said copenings rand having stop ln'gs'adjacefit .bne er its ends to engage the top wall of the receptacle andlliin'ijt the downward; inovement of the tube;v through the opening, the luppeizend of. the tube'being adapted to extendthroughxanjopening in the bottom vvallof the pot, and aj length of absorbent material engaged through the tube and extending below :"the lowerlend thereof into the (Water in therceptacle and extending above *the upper l end of thegtube into Ithezpot.

V 2. All irrigating deiriee fer plaritsrineluding' a Water receptable having-a tbp. wall provided Wlth spaced openings over which theplant pots are adapted to "be arranged, a metal tube adapted tofbe'removably gengaged' in each. of Saidopeni'ngS, stoplil'gs struck outwardly from the: wall of the tube at one OfJits ends tQJengage the top" vvall of :the receptacle and; limit "the" idovvir Ward. movement of the tu'be ethroughzftlre opening, the upper end ofthe"tubebeing is. adapted to BXtBIIlCljthIOfig'h anopeningtin the bottom Wall of-thepotfi'and a1 'lengthcof absorbent ;1rfa-terial ienga'ged through "the tube and extending below the 'l'oWen end thereof "into the Water inthe receptaclerahd 1; 1

extending above the upper end of the tube into the pot.

In testimony whereof Ihereu'nto' aifixmy signature in the presence of two-witnesses;

,L. ROLY'W'HITE. Witnessesw a GLARENGEA/COKER,

NELL RYBU'RN.

Washington, D. 0. 

